Categories
Art Collection Curatorial Exhibitions Photography and Media Arts

Curating Ho-Chunk Objects in Mrs. M.—’s Cabinet at the Milwaukee Art Museum

Painting of a brown, woven basket
Egg basket (circa 1900).
Egg basket (circa 1900).
Egg basket (circa 1900).

Ho-Chunk presence and their arts contributed to the development of Wisconsin Dells tourism—and to the material and aesthetic culture of the state. While Ho-Chunk representation is not always considered by tourists beyond stereotypical art for the trade, there is still a long and well-documented history of Ho-Chunk material life in the Wisconsin Dells area. The Ho-Chunk objects currently on exhibition in Mrs. M—’s Cabinet, are not the expected souvenirs of the Wisconsin Dells trade, but give a glimpse into the unfamiliar Ho-Chunk objects made and used in the Dells in the late 19th century.

Categories
Art Curatorial Exhibitions

Opening Soon: Rineke Dijkstra: Rehearsals

Rineke Dijkstra, Marianna (The Fairy Doll), 2014. One-channel HD video installation, surround sound; 19 min. 13 sec., looped. Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery. © Rineke Dijkstra.
Rineke Dijkstra, Marianna (The Fairy Doll), 2014. One-channel HD video installation, surround sound; 19 min. 13 sec., looped. Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery. © Rineke Dijkstra.

Rineke Dijkstra: Rehearsals opens this Friday, September 9, in the Herzfeld Center for Media Arts.

Dutch artist Rineke Dijkstra (b. 1959) is interested in moments of transition, particularly adolescence. In the upcoming exhibition, young athletes are the focus: rhythmic gymnasts in The Gymschool, St. Petersburg (2014) and a ballerina in Marianna (The Fairy Doll) (2014).

Categories
Art Behind the Scenes Education

Teens Discuss Postcards from America

Title view of Postcards from America: Milwaukee, with prompts teens used to explore the exhibition.
Title view of Postcards from America: Milwaukee, with prompts teens used to explore the exhibition.

On one of the last warm days in October, I led sixteen teens into the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Postcards from America: Milwaukee exhibition. This blog post is a description of our experience spending one hour together looking at a single photographer’s work in the exhibition.

Categories
Art Art News

Milton Rogovin—“Photography could be an instrument of social change”

Milton Rogovin (American, 1909–2011), from Buffalo's Lower West Side Revisited series, 1972-1992. Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Suzanne and Richard Pieper. M1999.217.1-.3-.243.1-.3

Photographer and social documentarian Milton Rogovin passed away last week at 101. His legacy can be found in his photographs of the underprivileged in the United States, enlightening us and provoking our compassion. His strong drive to explore social inequality led him to political strife and changed his life forever.

The Milwaukee Art Museum held an exhibition of Mr. Rogovin’s photographs in 2001. If you would like to see images of his work and learn more, the exhibition website can be viewed online.